The Double is comprised of two single-family homes on adjacent corners of a residential block in Tucson’s Barrio Blue Moon. Barrio Blue Moon had been an old and forgotten neighborhood near the University of Arizona and downtown.

The project’s use of lots left vacant in the heart of the city was a conscious effort to bring vitality to urban areas and act as a countermeasure to the thoughtless sprawl into the desert so often seen in the housing developments of our time and region.

This project aims to energize the neighborhoods near the center of Tucson, and demonstrate that thoughtful design can create quality, affordable living spaces within the city’s urban fabric.

Each house is situated to have a welcoming public entry and extensive private gardens. The Double is an experiment in modern architecture where versatility and function are revealed through the straightforward circulation of an open floor plan and the use of simple, durable construction materials.

Stepping the two houses up toward the center of the site, we articulated the simple planning concept of separating the public and private zones with an entry stairway – an expression of light and solid, welcome and shelter.

The two-story entry featuring a custom steel plate stairway connects the public and private areas of each house – an open-plan kitchen, dining, and living area on one side, lower floor master bedroom suite and two upstairs bedrooms and bath.

Consideration of climatic influences fostered the design of a custom shade screen for the east facing glass doors, and bathes spaces in balanced light throughout the year.

The result of resourcefulness combined with smart planning is a space that responds to its place, time, and circumstance.

AWARDS:

Home of the Year Honor Award by AIA Southern Arizona (2009)

Merit Award by AIA Southern Arizona, (2009)

The Double Residences

Location: Tucson, Arizona

Year Completed: 2003

Square Footage: 1740 sq ft per unit

Developer: Dreamspace, llc

Photographer: Bill Timmerman

Structural: Caruso Turley Scott

Mechanical / Electrical: Carlson Company

Contractor: Repp Design and Construction, llc.

The Double is comprised of two single-family homes on adjacent corners of a residential block in Tucson’s Barrio Blue Moon. Barrio Blue Moon had been an old and forgotten neighborhood near the University of Arizona and downtown.

The project’s use of lots left vacant in the heart of the city was a conscious effort to bring vitality to urban areas and act as a countermeasure to the thoughtless sprawl into the desert so often seen in the housing developments of our time and region.

This project aims to energize the neighborhoods near the center of Tucson, and demonstrate that thoughtful design can create quality, affordable living spaces within the city’s urban fabric.

Each house is situated to have a welcoming public entry and extensive private gardens. The Double is an experiment in modern architecture where versatility and function are revealed through the straightforward circulation of an open floor plan and the use of simple, durable construction materials.

Stepping the two houses up toward the center of the site, we articulated the simple planning concept of separating the public and private zones with an entry stairway – an expression of light and solid, welcome and shelter.

The two-story entry featuring a custom steel plate stairway connects the public and private areas of each house – an open-plan kitchen, dining, and living area on one side, lower floor master bedroom suite and two upstairs bedrooms and bath.

Consideration of climatic influences fostered the design of a custom shade screen for the east facing glass doors, and bathes spaces in balanced light throughout the year.

The result of resourcefulness combined with smart planning is a space that responds to its place, time, and circumstance.